Meet the 12 inspiring USA finalists of the Study UK Alumni Awards 2025.
The British Council is delighted to announce the 12 U.S. finalists for the Study UK Alumni Awards 2025. The award ceremony, taking place on Friday, February 7 in Los Angeles, California, will celebrate the exceptional achievements of UK alumni across the USA.
Each finalist is a leader in their field and has leveraged their UK university education to make positive contributions to their community and profession. We encourage you to learn more about our U.S. finalists through our Instagram and Facebook pages, and discover the opportunities that a UK education can bring to your life and career.
Study UK Alumni Awards 2025 finalists in the USA
The Science and Sustainability Award, recognizes alumni who have distinguished themselves through their career and achievements in the world of science and sustainability, and who demonstrate the impact and scale of their achievements in their profession, and beyond.
Their areas of work include, but are not limited to climate action, clean energy, medicine, sustainable cities and communities, engineering, industry, and construction.
This year finalists for the Science and Sustainability Award are:
• Dr. Elham Maghsoudi, graduate of Swansea University
• Dr. Jennifer O'Brien, graduate of Bangor University
• Dr. Mariam Kiran, graduate of University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University
The Culture and Creativity Award, recognizes alumni who have carved a career for themselves in arts and culture. They are individuals who demonstrate their artistic ingenuity, influence, and creativity. Their areas of work include, but are not limited to arts, design, humanities, traditional media, music, video, TV, sports and online content and audio-visual media creation.
This year finalists for the Culture and Creativity Award are:
• Bartosz Beda, graduate of Manchester Metropolitan University
• Dr. Erin Macdonald, graduate of University of Glasgow
• Gail Shalan, graduate of University of the West of England, Bristol
The Social Action Award, which recognizes alumni who have made an exceptional contribution and commitment to creating positive social change and improving the lives of others.
Their areas of work include, but are not limited to education, peace and justice and reducing inequality, poverty and hunger and broader humanitarian work or work for social good.
This year finalists for the Social Action Award are:
• Ana Núñez-Lagos Wodnik, graduate of University of Exeter
• Dr. David Ireland, graduate of University of Cambridge
• Sebastián Martín, graduate of University of Strathclyde and University of Warwick
The Business and Innovation Award, which recognizes alumni who are active in initiating and contributing to innovative or creative new ideas, solutions, or business opportunities, that have the potential for growth. Their areas of work could include, but are not limited to entrepreneurship, business, technology, and finance.
• Daniel Delgado Roybal, graduate of University of Essex
• Ignas Grazys, graduate of University of Manchester
• MonSu Huang, graduate of University of Southampton
Huge congratulations to all finalists!
Official announcement of category winners will be available on our website and social media accounts, following our celebration ceremony on February 7.
If you, like our finalists, studied at a UK university, we invite you to join Alumni UK, British Council’s global network, where you can grow your worldwide professional network, continue learning and share your experience and expertise with others. In the near future, your name could also be featured on this list among other successful UK alumni.